The best new LEGO designers of the second half of 2019

The Batmobile Pursuit of The Joker is one of the most affordable, yet most exciting, LEGO releases of the second half of 2019. This construction set was released in honor of the 30th anniversary of the cult film "Batman" directed by Tim Burton, that is, the first appearance of the Man-Bat on the silver screen (twenty years before that, only a low-low-cost television series was released, which, however, also acquired cult status).

Recognizing the famous actors Michael Keaton and Jack Nicholson, who played the superhero Batman and his main opponent the Joker, in minifigures is very difficult, due to the excessive abstraction of LEGO artists. But the design of the Batmobile copies one to one from the same 1989 film. Retro-style stretched bodywork, Batman-inspired wheel rims, tailpipe fire and a batwing spoiler (obviously using dragon wings borrowed from other LEGO series).

The Batman figurine is dressed in an old-school gray suit (Batman wears all black these days) and a black cloth cape (LEGO fabric parts are rare and highly prized by collectors), and is equipped with a large set of Bat Gadgets. The Joker is also dressed up in the classics: purple pants and a vest, and his hair is dyed bright green. This is clearly not a modern silent-gloomy Joker from a later film directed by Christopher Nolan, but a chatty merry villain, which is found, for example, in the Arkham series of computer games. For the most ardent Batman fans, we can also recommend a new and much larger set Lego Batcave Clayface Invasion 76122 with as many as seven characters from this comic universe.

Lunar Space Station is a new and rather unusual expansion of the LEGO City series of realistic, mostly urban vehicles and buildings. The set is a full-fledged space station, made in the image and likeness of the ISS, of course, in a slightly simplified form. The station consists of four modules-rooms and a docked spacecraft. Additional external elements of the station are solar panels and a undocking satellite.

The through gray central module is the connecting link of the entire structure. From it you can get, or rather fly, because there is no gravity in space, to any premises of the station: a kitchen, a gym or a scientific laboratory for studying geological samples, apparently delivered from the Moon (it’s not for nothing that the word Lunar appears in the name of the set) . The laboratory has a microscope and even a laser - the first dummy, but the second one is quite functional (powered by a battery and glows at the touch of a button). The absence of gravity, by the way, allowed to save a lot of space in the cramped premises of the station by placing beds on the walls. The only pity is that for a comfortable game you will have to disassemble the station into modules and dismantle the roofs.

The station crew consists of three astronauts: two men and one woman, although there are four LEGO minifigures in the set. The latter is an empty spacesuit for spacewalks: white, so as not to get excessively hot under the direct rays of the Sun, and with gold-plated helmet glass to protect the eyes (a rare LEGO piece). Another member of the crew, albeit inanimate, is a tentacle-armed robot that assists in outer space operations. If you liked the new LEGO space series, but you want a bigger and more complicated constructor, then take a closer look at the Komsodrome Lego Deep Space Rocket and Launch Control 60228 from 8 360 up to 9 919 ₴ with a giant booster.

Hagrids Hut Buckbeaks Rescue is a tabletop installation of one of the most memorable scenes from the Harry Potter films, Prisoner of Azkaban. The plot of the scene is as follows: the Minister of Magic, along with the executioner, arrived at Hagrid's house to execute the now banned hippogriff named Buckbeak (translated as Buckbeak). Harry, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, fortunately, were able to save the unfortunate animal.

The LEGO set contains all the participants in this scene without exception (six human minifigures plus a hippogriff), which, in fact, explains the slightly overpriced price in terms of a small amount of parts. In addition, sets based on movie and other franchises always cost a little more than their own LEGO series. I was especially pleased with the different heights of the figures: Harry, Ron and Hermione with short children's LEGO legs, the Minister of Magic and the executioner are of normal height, and Hagrid, as it should be in the book and film, is taller than the rest. Buckbeak figure is also of high quality: it's not just a standard LEGO horse with a neck head, but a unique figure with clawed front paws.

Other unique parts of the set are the antique doors of Hagrid's house. The only pity is that these are stickers, not textured plastic parts. Inside, Hagrid's house is two-room, but empty, which, however, one hundred percent corresponds to the life of an inveterate bachelor Hagrid. Well, a nice bonus is a large garden with pumpkins: the smaller fruits are made of LEGO heads, and the larger ones are in the form of real pumpkins. We recommend this constructor for purchase, rather, to adult fans of the Wizard in glasses, rather than to children - the figure-executioner with an ax is clearly not for children. The kids will probably like another new LEGO set based on the same movie "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" - an enchanted three-decker bus Lego The Knight Bus 75957 from 3 699 up to 4 999 ₴.

The Rescue Mission Boat is a new addition to the LEGO Friends girls series, which is de jure a Coast Guard boat, but de facto more of a pleasure yacht. However, nothing prevents you from combining the useful with the pleasant. Includes three figures - Mia, Olivia and Andrea - made to look like delicate dolls rather than the classic boxy LEGO figures. Figures of a similar shape and scale are found exclusively in the LEGO girls series: Friends, Disney Princess and Elves.

The base of the boat is not solid, unlike some other LEGO ship construction sets, so it will not work to swim with it in the bath or pool. The superstructure with the captain's bridge is easily removed, after which access to the cockpit is opened, where the berths (ship beds), galley (kitchen) and medical laboratory are located. The aim of the play swimming is to find and heal a sick baby narwhal, which is a marine mammal with a horn, just like a unicorn, another frequent visitor to the LEGO girls series.

For transportation and temporary maintenance of a narwhal, a crane and a miniature pool are provided on the boat. And for swimming in shallow water, an inflatable boat is useful. After successfully treating the narwhal, you can do other things: dive with a scooter for underwater treasures and have a picnic on the beach under palm trees on a small island (atoll). And upon returning to the pier, the trio of doll friends - Mia, Olivia and Andrea - can go, for example, to the local amusement park from another new set Lego Heartlake City Amusement Pier 41375 from 7 986 up to 14 101 ₴.

Newbury Haunted High School is part of a brand new LEGO Hidden Side series of its own, designed with Ghostbusters nostalgia in mind. The main feature of the series is an augmented reality (AR) application for a smartphone, which allows, by pointing the camera at the constructor, to see and neutralize virtual ghosts and other paranormal creatures.

However, there are enough monsters among the complete figures (three pieces) that live in Newbury High School. The building itself is also a monster, in the dark, trying to grab the young ghost hunters with their clawed paws (four more figures - two schoolboys and two schoolgirls). Fortunately, you can take a breath at least in the light of day, when the ghosts are hiding and the building turns into the most ordinary educational institution with classrooms, a library and a buffet.

In general, the idea of combining a real toy with a virtual picture on a smartphone screen is not new. But LEGO building sets, with the ability to rebuild and combine with other sets, could theoretically take AR games to a whole new level. Only time will tell if Hidden Side will become as popular as other in-house LEGO series, such as Ninjago and Nexo Knights, which are not only released by designers, but even made into cartoons. And if the price of this constructor is too high for you (obviously there is an overpayment for novelty and an AR application), then take a closer look at a more affordable bus for catching ghosts Lego Paranormal Intercept Bus 3000 70423 from 5 499 up to 6 499 ₴.

The 4x4 X-Treme Off-Roader is far from the first RC off-road vehicle in the LEGO Technic series, there used to be bigger models and more difficult to build. But this is the first model with Bluetooth control from a smartphone. The Technic Control+ mobile application provides a choice of two control options: the first is simplified, in which the user only indicates the direction of movement, and the second is close to reality, with a virtual steering wheel and gas pedal.

Inside the SUV there are as many as three electric motors: one independent for the front and rear wheels, and a separate one for cornering and changing the ride height. If you plan to drive on bumpy off-road, it is worth raising the car on the springs higher, and for high-speed driving on a flat road, on the contrary, it is better to go lower in order to make the vehicle more stable. A gyroscope is built into the SUV, which measures the angle of inclination and, in case of a risk of rollover, reports this.

On a full battery charge, the SUV, judging by the reviews on YouTube, is able to easily drive up hills at almost a 45-degree angle. All thanks to the low weight of the structure and tenacious tyres made of soft studded rubber. You can scold this constructor, perhaps, only for the lack of an alternative assembly option. Given the presence of large wheels and as many as three motors, from the available parts it could well have turned out, for example, a loader, but, alas, no. For those who love detailed modeling in LEGO Technic sets, you should take a closer look at another novelty - Lego Car Transporter 42098 from 12 999 up to 15 999 ₴. It will be especially appreciated by collectors who already own small LEGO Technic series cars - for them, a car transporter with a trailer will be an perfect base.